The Plato Paradigm

The Theory of Recollection - part 8: The demonstration - part 4: The slave is surprised to discover that the double area is not constructed on the double base-line (four units) or on the only other option, the base-line between two and four units, namely. the three-unit line. When asked to point at yet another base-line, he finds himself in an aporia, and it is worth comparing. this despairing apo...

The Theory of Recollection - part 7: The demonstration - part 3: The slave works out, with much help from Socrates, that a square with double the area of a smaller square is not constructed on double the base line. The area of a square constructed on double the base line is quadruple. We await patiently the demonstration of Recollection. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and comm...

The Theory of Recollection - part 6: The demonstration - part 2: The slave works out (without being taught!) that a square with a side of two units has an area of four (squares). When asked about a square with double the area (eight squares), he confidently declares that the line of the square must be double too. Meno does not react, but we should. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translati...

The Theory. of Recollection - part 5: The demonstration - part 1: Meno has been told to decide whether the slave is recollecting, or learning from Socrates. He should have told Meno to decide whether the slave is learning by recollecting or from Socrates. Instead of applying his nous (intellect), Meno simply watches, no matter how much Socrates tries to invalidate the demonstration. Here I read th...

The Theory. of Recollection - part 4: Preparing for the demonstration Meno is not allowed to have Socrates teach him that only recollection is learning (if Socrates teaches, then learning is not by recollection), so Meno asks for a demonstration instead, as if learning through seeing will prove that only recollection is learning. Socrates agrees to demonstrate this "difficult" task and continues t...

The Theory. of Recollection - part 3. Socrates continues to pile on the absurdities, and Meno conntinues to behave like a Platonist, failing to react to any of the obvious inconsistencies. The immortal soul knows everything (having seen it all, thanks to living forever), but the human knows nothing (no reason is given - it's as if there's no connection between the mental activity of the soul and t...

The Theory. of Recollection - part 2. Socrates piles on the absurdities, but Meno behaves like a Platonist and fails to react to any of the obvious inconsistencies. To take one example, in addition to the immortal soul routinely dying and coming to be, it now has seen everything and because of this it has learned everything. Among the things that it knows is virtue. In other words, the soul has se...

The Theory. of Recollection - part 1. Socrates entices Meno with priests, priestesses, and poets such as Pindar. They have an account of the soul, according to which the soul is immortal and yet dies and comes back to being. Socrates has told Meno to examine whether the account is true, and yet Meno fails to object even to this absurdity. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and com...

Meno has effectively excused himself from answering again about virtue. Socrates pretends to acknowledge that neither of them knows what virtue is, in order to suggest that they search together for it. Meno immediately raises the eristic argument whereby searching is pointless - either one knows and therefore has no need of searching, or one does not know, which makes searching futile since one wo...

Meno celebrates his aporia, his lack of supply (of answers). He exploits what he has heard about Socrates and his ability to stun, like a torpedo fish, not only himself but anyone who touches him, and portrays himself as yet another one of Socrates' victims. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. The resulting analyses may be found at: https:/...

Socrates wraps up the series of answers Meno has given about virtue by ensuring that he cannot give a fourth answer without suddenly changing and applying some dialectical thought to the subject. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. The resulting analyses may be found at: https://theplatoparadigm.com

Socrates concludes his criticism of Meno's third answer about virtue by labouring the point that an action in itself is neither virtue nor vice [not correcting Meno's notion that the whole of virtue or vice is a particular action], but is virtue if done with a part of virtue (it follows that it is vice if done with a part of vice). Socrates not only shuts down any future answer about virtue which...

Having discarded the first part of Meno's third answer concerning virtue, Socrates turns to the second part, and soon establishes that Meno is still thinking of the virtue of the man. Of all the possible ways to refute this yet again, Socrates simply adds "justly" and (instead of "soundmindedly") "piously" to the explanation of virtue, but Meno fails to predict the impending refutation. Here I rea...

Having treated the first part of Meno's third answer about virtue last time, this time Socrates explains why it is redundant. Having concluded sophistically last time that there is no one who does not desire good things, Socrates exploits one further assumption made by aristocrats like Meno, that virtue is a characteristic of someone exceptional. If all people desire good things, then this desirin...

After Meno's third answer to the question, "What is virtue?", that it is someone desiring fine things and being able to acquire them, Socrates begins his examination of the statement by apparently questioning whether there are people who do not desire fine things. Socrates actually indulges in some sleight of hand worthy of a sophist. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and comment...

Meno's third answer regarding virtue is "Someone desiring fine things and being able to acquire them". Socrates will begin his examination of this next time, but we already consider some of the problems now. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. The resulting analyses may be found at: https://theplatoparadigm.com

Socrates and Meno discuss which of the three sample answers they each prefer, although it isn't clear which one Socrates prefers or why. Socrates entices Meno to continue the discussion by hinting at an initiation into the mysteries. We learn that Meno and Socrates conversed yesterday as well. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. The resulti...

The third example Socrates gives of the sort of answer he expects from Meno is even worse than the previous two, although Meno accepts this one enthusiastically. The first answer had been that shape is the only thing which always follows colour, and Meno had called that one silly, since the recipient of the answer might not know what colour is; the second, that shape is the end of solid, was perfo...

Meno avoids having to answer again the question what virtue is because Socrates allows him to. Immediately after Socrates' second reply regarding shape, Meno asks what colour is, and Socrates plays the erastes (lover) to Meno's eromenos (beloved), pretending to give in to the demands of the younger man. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. T...

Socrates provides a second definition of "shape" (schema), but this time ensuring that Meno agrees beforehand to the various elements forming the explanation. Things are not as obvious as they seem (obviously). Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go. The resulting analyses may be found at: https://theplatoparadigm.com

Socrates pretends to help Meno give him an answer to the question "What is virtue?", which would explain every virtue, by providing a sample answer to the question "What is shape?", applicable to all shapes. Socrates encourages Meno to criticize it, spurring him on by noting that it's now Meno's turn to answer the question "What is virtue?", which Meno apparently will avoid by any means. Although...

Socrates is making a meal out of Meno's inability to give a simple answer to the question what is X in all instances of X. He would like Meno to give an answer to what is shape, for this to serve as an exercise (meletē) towards Meno's later answer regarding virtue. Socrates points out that this "What is X?" problem is applicable to all things, such as shape and colour. Meno bargains with Socrates,...

Meno has recalled Gorgias' two answers concerning virtues perfectly, but one gives many virtues, the other only one virtue, but not applicable to all. He is thus out of options which might satisfy Socrates' question, to say what that virtue is which is in all, and it is up to Socrates to keep the conversation on virtue going. He suggests that they go back and look at shape and shapes which had bee...

Meno's second attempt at explaining what virtue is by using Gorgias' other reply out of context is already doomed to failure, but Socrates adds to the problems by deliberately adding to Meno"s "being able to rule humans" the adverb "justly", which is only a part of the general adverb "well", thus inviting a list of many other virtues from Meno which, being virtues, are not the one virtue Socrates...

Socrates once again asks Meno for an answer given by Gorgias despite having dropped the sophist from the conversation a little earlier. This second answer makes sense in Gorgias' context, but it does not follow in the present context. Socrates therefore is carefully manipulating Meno into making a series of apparent errors. We may ask ourselves why. Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translat...